


His Name on Her Lips

by LittleDidTheyKnow



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Emotional Matt, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Karen Page has PTSD, Matt Murdock Jumps into Action, Secret Identity Fail, pre-season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-04 05:19:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10984173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleDidTheyKnow/pseuds/LittleDidTheyKnow
Summary: Karen is cornered by a dangerous man outside of work and Matt doesn't have the time to save her as Daredevil. So he does the next best thing.This takes place between season 1 and 2.





	His Name on Her Lips

**Author's Note:**

> Little stipulation here: I know nothing about the law, haha. Maybe the case they are working on is a crappy McGuffin, and I may come back to fix it. 
> 
> This still feels a little rough, but I am going to stop overanalyzing it and put it out there. I hope you like it.

It was a beautiful Saturday in Hell's Kitchen, but the office of Nelson and Murdock did not reflect that. Summer had enveloped the city, and the office was humid and tinged with the smells of sweat and dust. Karen and Matt were on their laptops in the conference room, papers spread all over the table. The rotating fans that Karen had set up kept blowing her scent over to him and he lost focus every time she sighed or pushed her hair back.

The phone rang. "Thank God!" Karen said, reaching for the phone and practically dropping it with her sweaty hand as she brought it to her face. "Nelson and Murdock." She recovered. "Yes, absolutely, I'll get him for you." She handed the phone to Matt, relief washing over him.

Matt and Karen had been working on a really difficult case. Their client was suing a CEO who was known for blackmailing his way through business deals. They had been trying to get in contact with his former secretary for weeks because she would be a crucial witness, and after this week, they really needed it. One of their more important witnesses had disappeared, and several other people were ready to jump ship.

Foggy and Matt had been taking on a lot of clients lately and were focusing individually on more cases. Luckily, Matt had Karen. She didn't have to work as hard as she did, but she always went above and beyond without being asked. He assumed she'd rather have a carefree weekend, but when she saw the workload he was taking on, she was the one who suggested coming in on a Saturday. He was grateful.

"I'm going to get some fresh air," Karen whispered. Matt nodded toward her and smiled.

Karen stepped into the dark night with a smile on her face. It was drizzling outside, and she loved the smell of fresh rain on pavement. Even New York City pavement smelled better - at least near their office. Maybe it was the fact that their block was less inhabited than the rest of the city, and that meant they didn’t have a constant pile of trash bags on their sidewalk.

She stepped out from under the brick awning and walked around the corner, feeling the fresh drizzle on her skin. She had grabbed her light gray sweater thinking it might be necessary in the rain, but the drips on her skin were a welcome sensation. She draped it over her arm, exposing the heart-shaped summer dress she was wearing. This was less professional than her usual attire, but it was a Saturday, and summer in Hell's Kitchen was pretty much what it sounded like.

Karen took another breath of fresh air when two unknown hands pulled her into an alley, causing her to drop her sweater. As she opened her lips to scream, a hand covered her mouth instantly, pulling her to the end of the alley despite her attempts to drag her feet.

She could barely see anything in the dark, but she did notice the large garbage container they were housed behind. The man who had grabbed her didn't release his hold on her, his back to the brick wall. Another man stepped out in front of her.

"So you're the woman who has been making my life hell?" he said as he stepped closer. She tried to adjust her eyes to see him, but it was too dark. The man holding her didn't realize she had been asked a question and muffled her response. His boss told him to remove his hand, and he moved them down to her arms, gripping them tightly as a warning.

"How would I know? I can't even see your face." She said, a biting tone to her voice.

"You have that many people that you harass, Ms. Page?" He said, unfazed.

"Depends on the day." She said coldly.

"I don't care how you do it, but you will get your employer to drop their client and stop investigating me. There's no way I'm losing my business because of some shit law firm. And if you come near my family again… You won't have the time to get back in my good graces."

 _Great,_ she thought. So he knew she had talked with his ex-wife. She had been giving Karen details of the man's indiscretions but was scared out of her mind that her husband would do something to silence her. 

"Threatening a law firm for coming after you would be illegal, Mr. Lewis. And I haven't contacted your family..."

He swung back and hit her right in the cheekbone. It stung, and tears welled up in her eyes, a physical reaction from the contact of his fist.

"You're a bad liar, Ms. Page." He chuckled and predatorily dragged his hands up her arms, stroking shoulders and then her collarbone. "But since you won't tell the truth, there's no way for me to trust you. I think it's easier to just have you removed from the situation. Maybe your lawyers will learn from your lack of compliance." She tensed up and breathed out a quiet and final, "Matt" as his hands closed around her throat.

Matt hung up the phone and crooked his neck. His phone call had taken longer than he'd wished and he'd lost track of Karen. At the beginning of their conversation, he heard her step into the drizzle and sensed her smile. He loved that she found joy in the little things; the smell of rain, walking into old bookshops and searching for the oldest copy of a title she needed, the "hmm" noise she made after a first bite every time they had a meal. He had to have the caller repeat what they were saying since he had gotten caught up in her happiness.

Part of the reason they had been in the office for so long was because she made it hard for him to concentrate. He'd been trying to keep their relationship professional, but there was only so much strength one man could have around someone who made his cheeks hurt from smiling each and every day. She always smelled amazing, her skin and hair giving off a mix of lemon verbena and lavender. Her laughter and warmth made her more lovable every day, and even though he had a hard time being productive in her presence, he constantly found himself asking for her help on cases.

He hadn't noticed that in his search for her, he'd stopped breathing. He tilted his head and sifted through the noise, his eyes moving quickly in no particular direction. The rain was coming down heavily now, and the sounds from cars mixed with the random chatter in apartments and on the street. Then he heard his name on her lips followed by a violent gasp for breath.

He jumped from his chair and ran out of the office. When he made it to the stairs, he took them two steps at a time, bursting out of the complex. He quickly followed the angry voice that was extinguishing the life of the woman he cared most about.

"This is disappointing. I'm a good person, Ms. Page. It's too bad you don't know how to keep your nose out of other people's business."

She was starting to see stars. She kicked at him, but Lewis only laughed, stepping forward to give her legs less room to move. So this was how she'd die. At the hands of one more privileged bastard who thought the rules didn't apply to him. She thought about Matt and Foggy laughing at Josie's, the life she'd made for herself. A tear fell from her eye, and suddenly she was breathing again.

She blinked her eyes open and listened to the scuffle in front of her as the man behind her started breathing quickly. He tightened his grip on her, ready to use her body as a shield. The bastard in front of her had been thrown against the bricks and slammed into the garbage container wall. Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Let her go now. Don't take the time to think about it. Take your hands off of her, or you'll regret it."

The man shoved her, sending her stumbling into the darkness. Matt caught her, and they sank down the brick wall as the two men took off down the street.

"Karen!" he said, holding her in his arms. "Are you alright? Oh my God, I can't believe I let this happen…" Matt said, rubbing her back and holding her close to him.

He pulled out his cell phone as she tried to remember how to breathe. She was sitting on his lap, her hands clutching her knees, with her head in the crevice between his shoulder and his neck. He could feel her labored breaths against his skin as he caressed her head and ran his fingers through her hair.

The next few moments were a blur. She heard sirens getting closer and closer, and he helped her up. She felt her head rush, not sure if she was passing out again. Matt grabbed her and helped her get her footing. He walked her out of the alley, and into the streetlight.

Sergeant Brett Mahoney was there with two other officers. They took her statement as an EMT checked her out. Karen told them she'd be fine and Brett suggested he drive her to her apartment. She shivered at the thought of being alone, realizing that she could barely handle standing five feet away as Matt talked with the detective.

"I'm worried that he will come after her again," Matt told Brett. "I know it wouldn't make sense for him to try again tonight, but our he doesn't seem to do the expected."

"Lewis has slipped out of more sticky situations than you can imagine, Matt. We'll try to find him, but my gut says it won't be tonight."

Matt nodded and walked over to Karen. "I think you should stay with me tonight, Karen." She was looking off into the street. "Karen?" He said walking into her eye line.

"Yeah...yeah that's fine."

The EMT and squad cars took off, leaving only Brett. "Go grab your things and I'll drive you guys to your apartment." Karen walked to the office and Matt hung back. He picked up her soaking wet sweater and caught up as she opened the door.

Matt wrapped his arm around Karen as they rode to his apartment in Mahoney's police car. He handed her sweater to her. "I forgot about this." She said. "How did you find it?"

"I tripped over it. I'm sorry it's so wet."

She brushed it off and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you." She said, and he could tell it was for more than just finding her sweater.

Matt thanked Brett as they reached his apartment. "I'll keep you up to date, Murdock. There's a chance they'll come after you as well, so keep an eye out…" He realized his mistake. "I mean…"

"I know, Brett." He chuckled. "We'll be careful."

They walked up the stairs to his apartment and Matt unlocked the door. Karen didn't flip the light switch, she just walked in a daze and sat on his couch. Matt went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and met her back on the couch. She didn't say a word as he sat next to her, just rubbing her neck and trying to not to think about the night's events. He didn't know how to comfort her, and it killed him. They sat in silence for several minutes, but it felt like forever. He remembered the water he had brought for her. "Karen, I know your throat hurts, but you should probably drink some water." she reached out and slowly drank the entire glass.

She turned her head toward him. "I feel..." her words hung in the air. She realized how scared he looked. She had never seen him this way before. He could barely keep calm, and his body was shaking as he shook his head. "…I feel disgusting. That alley was nasty and I still feel their hands on me."

Her last sentence made it even worse. He didn't respond, but she could see his eyes welling up and then tears started streaming down his face. "Oh, Matt...." She said, moving closer to him and taking his face into her hands. "This wasn't your fault! I just remembered what you said. How in the hell could you think you _let_ this happen?"

"Karen, I never should have involved you in this case. I knew how dangerous he was."

"That's ridiculous." She said. "You know there was too much work for one person. Plus, I wasn't going to let you do it alone."

"You almost died, and no case is worth losing you." He said as he rubbed his eyes. "I never could have lived with myself."

"Matt, you are being way too hard on yourself. I don't know how to make you see that, but I'm going to try. First, though, I'd really appreciate it if I could use your shower."

He wiped the tears from his face and nodded. "Of course."

She stood up, but her legs wouldn't listen to her. She couldn't move. "This is ridiculous." She muttered. She'd had multiple attempts on her life in the last 6 months and being in a room by herself wasn't this difficult. What made this particular instance so hard?

Matt could sense that she wasn't handling things as well as she'd have liked. Her pulse was racing and she was sweating more profusely than normal. "Let me make sure you have everything you need in there." He said, getting up.

He led her to the bathroom and noticed his towel was the only one available. "I'm going to grab you a fresh towel. Shampoo and conditioner are on the shelf." He stood in the doorway like he was waiting for her to tell him it was ok to leave.

 _Of course he uses conditioner_ , Karen thought. That explained why she dreamed of running her fingers through his hair every time she was near him. She reached for her zipper and let out a small yelp. Her arms were stiff and she could barely reach the back of her dress. Without a word, he glided over to her and unzipped it. Then he slowly lifted it over her head and unfastened her bra, pushing the straps off her shoulders. She dropped her bra to the floor and he walked to the door. "Thanks, Matt… Um, would you mind...?" she silently muttered, like it pained her to ask.

"You want the door open?" He said, knowing what she needed before even she did.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Matt."

She turned the water on and slipped her underwear off, walking into the shower. Matt headed to his bedroom to find a clean towel. He realized he felt disgusting too, smelling every nasty bit of alley sludge on his suit. He stripped down to his boxer briefs planning on taking a shower after Karen was finished. 

He grabbed a towel out of a clean basket of laundry and listened as the water cascaded down her body. He was worried at the fact that she remained stationary and still hadn't washed her hair. Her heart was beating incredibly fast. Even in sticky situations, Karen was abnormally calm compared to most. It made his heart break to witness a woman who so valued her independence and strength feeling so vulnerable.

Matt heard her reaching for his shampoo shelf, knocking its contents to the ground. Her hand grasped at the wall as she tried to steady herself and she dropped to the floor. He ran to her, as he heard her gasping for breath, bursting through the doorway. He threw the towel on the ground and yanked the shower door open.

Matt entered the shower and found her, guiding his hand to the bottom of her face. "Karen! Karen!" She had passed out. He told her to breathe as she came to, but she just shook her head no, confused and scared. He fell to his knees, hitting them hard on the shower tile. She looked at him as he placed her hand on his chest, moving his body to block the water from hitting her in the face.

"Breathe, sweetheart." He said, placing his hand softly on her chest in an attempt to guide her to breathe with him. She slowly came to, life coming back into her eyes. He lifted her up and she pulled him close, bawling.

He lost it then and there. He was sobbing with her, petting her head and back. "I'm so sorry." he continued crying and it wasn't until she realized that she was clutching him, naked, that she stopped.

She tried to remember what had happened. He had left the bathroom, and she started reliving everything. She remembered feeling claustrophobic, and suddenly she couldn't remember how to breathe. _How did he know that she had passed out?_ She looked at his extraordinary chest that was surprisingly covered in scars. _What in the hell were those from?_   She brushed it off when she saw his abs and finally, his soaked boxer briefs, which outlined everything.

Somehow _this_ brought her back to reality. "Matt, I'm so sorry! I can't believe you had to rush in here."

His eyes were still filled with tears. "I'm afraid to leave you." He tilted his head against her. "Karen, I can't..."

She lifted her hand to his face. "How about you just stay in here with me? You're the only thing that is calming me right now anyway." she shivered. Partially at the thought of him leaving, and partially because he was blocking the water.

"I know that would make me feel better." He said as he guided her by the shoulders into the streaming water. She smiled at yet another moment where he knew exactly what to do. He reached down to pick up the shampoo and conditioner, placing the conditioner on his shelf. He opened the cap to his shampoo and poured a Karen-sized amount onto his palm. She moved out of the water and he rubbed it into her hair, massaging her scalp. She leaned into him again, her head against his chest.

He couldn't help but smile. Even though he was comforting her, she made him feel better. Their breathing was in sync, and she looked up at him and placed her palm on his cheek, rubbing his chin bone with her thumb. She took the shampoo from him and poured some onto her hand, reaching over his shoulder to place it on the shelf. He felt her breasts brush against him as she did this, and he tried to think about anything else.

Karen pulled his head down onto her shoulders so she could massage his scalp and neck. He let out a soft moan as the tension left him. She rinsed her hair and he applied conditioner as she turned to let the water hit her face. She took his soap and he could feel her rubbing it over her body, hundreds of tiny bubbles making contact with her skin. He loved that she just used his personal bar, making it hers and his at the same time. She handed it to him so he could do the same, looking down and giggling as she realized that he was still wearing underwear in the shower.

Karen looked up to see Matt tilting his head in her direction, a huge grin on his face. She ran her fingers down his stomach and slid them off of him slowly, still looking up at his face. He could feel everything, her nail grazing his skin, the waistband rubbing against him as his cock sprung against the resistance, her slow breathing against his neck. They fell to the floor and he kicked them into the corner of the shower.

He smiled that Matt smile and she applied conditioner to his hair. She did this much longer than was needed; unwilling to make that smile go away. They rotated in unison so that he was under the shower head, and she ran her hands up his cheekbone, to his hair. She massaged him, and the mixture of pulsing water and her nails and finger pressure against his scalp made him sink. She ended at his neck, lightly pressing her fingers into his skin.

Everything about this shower had been relatively innocent until she moved her hands from his hair. He could feel the desperation to her touch as she held him, her failed attempt at repressing a sigh telling him she wanted more. He placed his hands on her face and gave in, kissing her under the falling water. He kept as much space between them as possible, knowing what would result from their bodies colliding and trying not to rush anything after the night she'd had.

When he pulled away from her, he could feel her smile and the happiness that flooded her heart. She kissed him lightly, grinning even more after catching a glimpse of a rare Matt Murdock grin that spread from ear to ear. It confirmed that he was truly happy, and the fact that it was because of her made her forget everything for just a moment.

Matt turned off the water and wrapped his towel around himself as she squeezed the water from her hair. He wrapped her towel around her as she stood in the shower doorway and pulled her closer to him, pressing his forehead to hers. She closed the gap between them, lowering her lips to his and gently guiding her tongue over them and into his mouth. He savored the impossible-to-replicate Karen flavor, more full than ever before. He lifted her out of the shower and spun her in the air, lowering her slowly onto the plush rug by the sink and ending with a kiss on her forehead.

Matt grabbed her hand and walked her to his bedroom. He grabbed a t-shirt and some pajama pants for her, as well as a pair of boxers and pajama pants for himself. They got dressed and she used the towel to tousle her hair dry. He then lifted his sheet and comforter up so she could slip in. She grabbed his other forearm, pulling him under the covers with her, and he automatically slid his arm under her neck.

"Karen, I can sleep on the couch if you li-"

"I think we'll both sleep better if you're in here with me. Are you comfortable with that?"

"I didn't think I'd sleep too well out there, to be honest. I don't want you passing out again."

"Thank you for caring." She let out a small defeated sigh. Good old protective Matt. That kiss may have been her imagination.

He sensed something was wrong, but it took him a minute to jump to a conclusion.

He looked down at her and lifted her chin.

"If you want to act like that kiss didn't happen, I'll understand. I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation - I've been trying not to do that since I met you. But today was particularly terrible, and I shouldn't have done it."

"You're wrong Matt Murdock. You have been a perfect gentleman, so stop over-analyzing it. She looked up and kissed him again. "You don't get to ruin a moment I've wanted since I've met you."

She rolled over and yawned, grateful as pulled her against him. He placed his hand on her hip, feeling her soft skin and causing her heart to race. Then he kissed the back of her neck and they drifted off to sleep.


End file.
